Geebee Y Replica

THk BIRTHPLACE Gee Bee aircraft Springfield MA also birthplace built first model Gee Bee 1975 Sport Scale Model Y Senior Sport ster MA Plan #131 started way researching fabulous Gee Bee airplanes men built As learned about Gee Bees interest intensified located Bob Granville original five brothers put touch brother Ed Both supplied photos Model Y thanks built up documentation package helped bring home several trophies Ed Granville passed away before opportunity meet him person Bob became very Haffke gives us inside lookata fullscale replica Gee Bee Model Y Senior Sportster com pleted just over year ago ultralight designer AMA member Ken Flag br photos start mouth watering youve got make years Nats Westover see beautiful plane 56 Model Aviation Top Viewed angle Gee Bee 18811 Golden Era racer Nostalgia seemsto almost drip its classic lines Above Builder owner Ken Fiagior sitting wing author stunning Gee Bee original Senior Sportsterfinished 4th 5th two Thompson Trophy appearancesregarded fine racer Ri good friends spent lot time together over next few years put contact Gee Bee people men owned men two famous women flew races quite few local craftsmen worked Granvile Brothers Aircraft information collecting showed much what published about Gee Bee aircraft ter ribly inaccurate decided write book tell true story famous craft men behind Bob Granville planned write book together passed away before gotten very far research complete now soon story will told planning book intend ed include chapter replica Gee Bees found several people considering building few actually involved construction So far have learned least half dozen Model Y Senior Sportsters R-l R-1/R-2 Model Z Model Z course Bill Turners famous replica now stands Smith3onian Insti tution first replica airplane ever exhibited Bill first get replica Gee Bee flying flew enough disprove myths dangerous little racer Two years ago got envelope mall contained half dozen photos bare bones Model Y ready covering note simply said Henry thought might interested project signed Ken Flaglor no idea anyone Model Y close completion heard Ken designer Flaglor Skooter ultralight sells plans didnt know working Gee Bee Needless say arranged visit him spent fascinating evening going over nut bolt promised ride finished Two years later great day came old friend Syd Clements flies Gee Bees went Kens hangar him cloudy drizzly afternoon Ken rolled back hangar door couldnt believe eyes looked much bigger covering beautiful thing ever seen rolled out hangar Ken started big Lycoming didnt fly since clouds just too low shot seven rolls film listened engine making music Kens Senior Sportster finished like second copy plane Granvilles built modified 1933 Chicago International Air Races alrcraft originally smooth cowl Continued page 136 August 1985 57 Left 1933 photo shows Senior Sportster just after installation new larger engine Chicago internatlonai Air Races aii aero history fans thats Bob Haii ieft Art Knapp right Right ieft-side view Kens beautifui Gee Bee Re flection underside wing murky day photo taken says just weii airpiane finished Left Detaiis overaii wing structure can seen shot Ken stuck M-6 airfoii used originai Senior Sporteter Right Ken Fiaglor sitting wheci pant fantastic Gee Bee Modei Y during iocai EAA chapters Fourth Juiy party 1982 Left ciose-up wing-fuselage junction shows some great craftsmanship Ken has put Gee Bee Right cockpit entry door down see seat back shouider harness ieather headrest singie detail plane immaculate still solder battery tabs circuit stuff batteries inside Thats end Bills guest article Id like add few notes about him First man makes living designing installing remote-monitoring control ling equipment municipal water sys tems like employed Minneapolis Honeywell years claims got job because took along homemade Berkeley Aerotrol system impressed interviewer hired him spot Also Bill restoring collecting antique sparker engines has begun making piston rings could see process Dee B Mathews 8420 Nantucket Wichita KS 67212 Mind/Andersen Continued page 55 bureaucracy replied Well about buying own place asked would have go out bids congressman would want district MAGIC MAGNET BUILDERW Eldon J Lind Co 2912 Walker Lee Los Alamitos CA 90720 Impossible Im afraid flying site place available Well okay said its national interest Just red telephone Presi dents desk rang Oh God its World War Three thought President picked up phone spoke greeting stumbling Russian continued English Yes hes rightnow dontyou ask him yourself President said caller other end hot line telephone Its Premier Soviet Union said cupping hand over mouthpiece wants speak took telephone trembling hands deciding simultaneously let some else become club president next year greeted Premier inquired might service Comrade said Did know fly RC too No kidding remarked What flying just test-hopped Aeromaster made American kit Its covered British heat-shrink plastic has Japa nese radio Italian engine wood Ecuador wheels Malaysia French glue its built German tools sanded Norwegian sandpaper Im being criticized being soft interna tional capitalism biggest problem Kremlin really bad place too fly Too walls too much interference electronic surveillance no privacy What need place can escape pressures high office need place can reach out feel space time refresh tired brain drawing castor oil trails across deep blue sky Would club mind if. Gee Bee Y/Haffke Continued page 57 housing its 215-hp Lycoming engine bigger engine installed new cowl bumps rocker arms fitted Art Knapp Bob Hall have photo Hall Knapp standing next original apparently just after flown first time its new engine Later modifications 1933 craft included closing landing gear legs installing cover over ward cockpit forward windshield stowed under cover racing Ken has cover forward windshield puts needs did test flying cockpit covered windshield installed Ken left landing gear legs open Ken started Gee Bee January 1977 Work progressed slowly since could work during slow months business owns glass service company built several aircraft before tackling Model Y 136 Model Aviation LILJAZLL 13311 Beach Ave na Del Rey CA 2 821-6242 An Weal way build balsa construc ted model airplane wing% fuselage atabiilzers elevators rudders Build fast easy straight true Makes other methods obsolete CONTENTS 1 -16x48 STEEL PLATE 30- MAGNETS 60- MAGNETIC POLES 10-5 UPRIGHTS 10-1 x 10/32 BOLTS 10-10/32 NUTS useful tool wili last lifetime nothing wear out Magnetically holds balsa parts place gluing No damagec split weakened wood using pine Vhen first met him kept telling asnt greatest craftsman anted work himself Two ears later couldnt find anything ens aircraft less perfect Ken made first flight pride nd joy July 4 1984 flew beauti ally needing minor adjustment ne brace wires trim out pent some time fiddling landing gear amping minor adjustments iade flew off required number qualify cross-country [ight off Oshkosh Ken came back Oshkosh last year ith Grand Champion Replica award hortly thereafter flew Gee Bee e Blakesburg EAA event came ome four trophies including Best eplica Most Unique Monoplane est Workmanship Owner mplimented him winning ways e just smiled said plane out better thought would original Model Y registered [R718Y Ken tried get number ad settle NR7l8L Kens Gee Bee powered Lycoming R 680-13 engine f 300 hp swinging constant-speed prop ruise speed 140 mph rate climb fantastic 2500 feet per minute npty weight 1792 lb gross eight 2500 lb Kens Model Y little avier original due elec Ic starter radio equipment Ken will flying magnificent CL Aerobatics/Fancher Continued page 58 length line use easiest way give away line ten sion have airplane roll toward pilot unsettling phenomenon can caused Warps item No 15 under Line Tension Trim Objective Misaligned Flaps item No 16 combination both addition inadequate Tip Weight No 3 will allow plane roll toward pilot both upright inverted flight check warps misaligned flaps very carefully view aircraft rear vision has trailing edge flap exactly centered wing flaps aligned both should bisecting respective wings twist flaps align check wing warps again view trailing edge flaps cen tered slowly move airplanes rear end upwards away watching trailing edge flaps relative top wing As trailing edge moves away flaps will start obscure view top wing should equal ly flap starts cover its wing faster other wings warped Investigate closely determine remove warp rough initial tip weight can arrived age-old fashion adding weight until outboard wing drops easilybut rapidlywith airplane supported crankshaft tail using equal-span wings add enough cause wing drop smartly proba bly another e should get ball park ship full-fuselage type probably have built desired Engine August 1985 137 Model Y 1985 Nats Westover Air Force Base early August Hes long time modeler AMA member Ill able show Ken area Gee Bees came finally get ride AMA friends will get close look magnificent airplane Can guess what Im building Scale competition year PAW DIESELS Englands Finest 049 35 RIC STD Send S 100 list Eric Clutton 913 Cedar Lane Tullahoma Tenn 37388 * SCALE DOCUMENTATION * SCALE DRAWINGSMODEL PLANS PHOTOS 1985 KS EPLA-TECH INTERNATIONAL AIRPLANE CATALOG48500 MC KENZIE HWY $300VIDA OREGON 97488